Electronic control apparatus



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 L. W. MARSH, JR

ELECTRONIC CONTROL APPARATUS Dec. 19, 1950 Filed Feb. 19, 194e Dec. 19, 1950 L. w. MARSH, JR

ELECTRONIC CONTROL APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 19, 1946 IUPZSm LYNN W. MARSH JR.

INVENTOR @am Q. #de

ATTO R N E Y L. w. MARSH, JR

ELECTRONIC coNTRoL APPARATUS Dec. 19, 1950 Filed Feb. 19, 194e 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Dec. 19, 1950 ELECTRONIC CONTROL APPARATUS Lynn W. Marsh, Jr., United States Army, Arlington County, Va.

Application February 19, 1946, Serial No. 648,809

7 Claims. (Cl. Z50-27) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

` amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment of any royalty thereon.

This invention is in electrical apparatus and particularly is in electronic ring circuits.

The principal object of the invention is to provide means for readily reversing the order of oo nduction of the tubes of an electronic ring c1rcuit.

Other objects will be apparent from a reading of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a wiring diagram of a portion of a conventional Eccles-Jordan type of electronic ring circuit.

Figure 2 is a block diagram of the principal elements of the invention. I

Figure 3 is a schematic wiring diagram of th present invention.

Figure 4 is a diagram of a modified control for a ring circuit.

In general, a ring circuit such as is to be controlled by the present invention consists of two or more vacuum tube stages and their associated locking tube stages interconnected as shown in the diagram of Figure 1. Such a ring circuit is commonly used in timing or counting operations, the normal circuit arrangements being such that, when triggering pulses are applied to all ring stages simultaneously, the stages will conduct or otherwise change their conditions singly in predictable succession. Commonly, in a live-stage ring circuit, for eXample,the first stage will change condition responsive to the rst, sixth, eleventh, etc., pulses, the thirdstage responsive to the third, eighth, thirteenth, etc., pulses. In known ring circuits, conduction or firing of the stages takes place in regular order, progression around the ring always occurring in one direction. The circuit illustrated consists of ring stages proper IIJ, II, I2, and I3, and their respective locking stages I', II', I2', and I3; the common cathode circuit, through resistor 5, insures that only one ring tube at a time will be in conducting condition; each locking stage causes a ring tube, once it has begun to conduct, to maintain its condition unti1 a new pulse is applied to the grids of the ring tubes.

Negative triggering vpulses are applied simultaneously to the grids of all of the ring tubes I0, II, I2, and I3. These pulses serve to extinguish any conducting tube. As a tube is extinguished, the positive-going voltage at its plate is applied through a differentiating circuit to the Cil 2 grid of the following ring stage to produce conduction therein.

Referring to Figure 2, the blocks Illa, IIa, I2a, and I3a are the elements of a conventional electronic ring circuit (as just described), Ill, I5, I6, and II are electronic means of my invention for controlling the conductivity of the ring stages, and I8, I9, 20, and 2 I, switching means which determine the mode of action of control stages I4, I5, I6, and I'I.

In order to control the ring, that is, reverse it when desired, the conventional ring of Figure 1 is modified as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2, it will be understood, illustrates in block form the complete reversing ring circuit, while Figure 3, a more detailed showing, represents for the most part replacement and additional elements necessary to transform a conventional ring to a reversing ring according to my invention; specifically relating Figures 1 and 3, in other words, each of the coupling condensers, as 6, of Figure 1 is replaced by a peaking circuit, as Sil-3| plus a selective vacuum tube coupling, as I 6. Each ring stage, as I2, for example, feeds into a control circuit, as I6, which in turn may act upon either of the two ring stages I I and I3, depending upon the condition of switch 2E. From Figure 3, the control circuits I5, I6, and I'I, of Figure 2, (I4 not being shown), may be seen to comprise a double triode each. The locking tube arrangement of Figure 1 is, of course, not disturbed.

The plate of ring tube I2 is connected through a differentiating circuit 3I-3I to the plates I 6-IS of control tube I6 While ring tube II is similarly associated with control tube I5, and ring tube I3, with I1.

One cathode, 24', of double triode I 6 is connected to the input of the ring stage ahead of I2, namely, I I, the other cathode, 24, being connected to the input of the succeeding ring stage I3.

By means of batteries and switches, the grids of the control tubes can be selectively biased positive or zero. The grids I5a, Ilia, and I'Ia are shown as having a positive bias. By throwing switches I9, 2D, and 2|, the grids i519, I6b, and I 'Ib can be made positive and I5a, Ita, and Ila brought to zero.

Assume it is desired to cause the ring circuit to fire in a forward or normal direction. The grids I5b, IGI), and I'Ib are zero biased while grids I5a, Ia, and IIa are positively biased. If ring tube I2 is ring and is cut 01T, the positive-going voltage at its plate is peaked and applied to the plates I6 and I6 of tube I6. Since grid Ilia only is positively biased, the circuit controlled thereby will conduct, whereas the circuit controlled by grid lBb (at zero bias) will not conduct. The positive-going voltage at cathode 24 is applied to the grid of ring tube I3 to cause conduction therein.

When the bias of grids lSa and lBbis reversed, it can be seen that the 'rlring oftube -I'B (brought about by the out oli" of ringtube l2) Will produce conduction in ring tube l! instead of I3. If all the switches i9 through 2i are thrownnso` that the grids 15b, 1Gb, and Hb are biasedpostive, the firing order of the ring circuit-will be reversed.

The mechanical switches shown (I9, 28, and 2l) should be understood to be representative only; in practice, electronic switching may "be employed.

The modification of Figure 4, adapted especially for operation with an input'of positive trigger pulses, comprises two diodes 6i and'BZ 'and'two respectively cooperatingtriodes 1G and 86. With positive pulse ioperation, it Vwil1`be understood, normally one ring tube is extinguished while all other ring tubes are conducting.

The output of v'ring tube "Sii is applied through large resistances il and i2 to the plates- 'of diodes 6I and .62, respectively, andthence throughfpeaking circuits {i3-S13 on the one khand 'and 66-61 onrthe other to ring tubes E5 and 68.

A'fbattery 82 supplies negativebias -to the grid of either tube l or 80 through switch 8| and associated contacts.

Each control circuit (only'one being f shown :although one should 'be assumed for each ring stage) `acts as la variable resistance network. When tube i6 is negatively biased-andtherefore, not conducting, the resistance of tubes 6I and l is very high compared to that of resistor G4 in peaking circuit "B3-511, andthe outputl of vring stage 68, dropped through -resistor -lLis applied to ring stage 65. The diiferentiatedpul'se reaching tube 65 causes that -tube to cut'oif.

At thesarne'timathe grid of tube 8,of'course, is at zero potentia1,and the tube -isconducting Its plate potential and thus the cathode potential of diode-52 falls'to some value lower than before, the exact value being fixed-by the circuitf'co'm'ponents but being in any case less-than the output of tube @il droppedacross resistor 12. `lThe result'is that, when tube' is conducting, the-cath ode of tube 62'is negative with respect'to its plate,

and the two tubes G2 and Si! provide alowres'ist-A ance path to ground for the output 'of tube it, and ring tube 68 is not Vcut-oit.

Should switch 8l be thrown so as -to connect battery 3E tothe grid of tube`83,'tube Tawill'conduct, and the diiferentiated pulsefrom 'tube will serve to cut off ring vtube -68 Ywhilevleaving tube unaffected.

The arrangementofFigurel is inserted in-the circuit of 'Figure l just as described'for the iselective control of Figure The foregoing description 'is `in specific terms. Many modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. It will beiobviousjfor example, that'sep'arate triodes can be used'i'n place of the double tubesof Figure 3,-and, contrariwise, that double tubes can replacethe diodes and triodes ofi-the controicircuit oiFigure 4.

I claim as my invention:

1. A ring circuit' comprising a plurality ofring stages each having a conducting conditionand a nonconducting condition and-means`fforcontrol ling theorder of progression thereof,including means -for supplying triggering impulses "for changing lthe condition-of any :ring stage Lwhen its condition is unlike that of the remaining ring stages, a control stage in the nature of a double triode, means for coupling said control stage to a ring stage for varying the conductivity of the former in accordance with variations in the conduc-tivity of' saidring stage,fand means for couplingth'e output of one half 'of said control stage to a ring stage preceding and the output of the other half of the control stage to a ring stage succeeding the ring stage associated with the controlsta'ge 2.-'Af'rin'glcircuit comprising a plurality of ring stages Yeach having a conducting condition and a nonconducting condition and means for control- `lin"g '"the order of progression thereof including means for supplying triggering impulses for changing the condition of any ring stage when its condition Aisun'like'that of the remaining ring stages, a double triode, means for maintaining the plates thereof at like potentials, means for selectively applying 'biasing .voltage'to Vthe grids of said-triode, means for coupling the "output-Tof one 4half of said ltriode Ato aselected ring stage thereby to vary the conductivity-0f said vring vstage with Aa variation-intheconductivity 'of said one half of saidtriodaineans-for coupling'th'eoutput of the other half-of saidtriode toanother'ring stage 'thereby to vary lthe -'conductivity thereof with a variation inltheiconduc'tivity of said other half of said triode, and means for associating said controlstage witha further ring stage vto vary the conductivity of saidcont'rolstag'e in response to changes in the conductivity 'of said further-ring stage.

'3. Airing circuitJcom-pri'singTa plurality lof ring stages each having a conducting condition Sand'a nonconducting condi-tion and vmeans for icontrolling the order of progression thereof including means for supplying ltriggering limpulses `for changing the condition of any fring 'stage when its condition isfunlikckelthat Yof theiremaining ring stages, a normally nonconducting double tricde, means fior maintaining 'the plates thereof atflike potentials, means forselectiv'ely applying biasing voltage to `the -grids of said 'triode, means dependent'upon the conductivity of a-ringstagelfo'r providing Va-sig'nal for the plates `of said ltriode which may vary the conductivity thereof, and meansfor-couplingtheoutput of one half-of-said triode-to another'ring's'tage and the output of the other half vto f a furtherV ring istage.

4..Aringcircuitcomprising a plurality of ring stages eachhavin'g a conducting-condition-and-a nonconducting Vcondition and means for controlling-the order of progression thereofincluding means for supplying triggering impulses for changing thecondition vof Vany ring stage -when its condition isunlike vthat of the l remaining ring stages, a-controlstage-inthe natureof a double triodelcoupled'to-eachringfstage, means for selectively -applyingbiasingvoltage to the two grids of -eachof v`th`eicontrol stages, means dependent upon the conductivity o`f a ring stage'forapplying a signal -to Ythe fpla'tes of .the fassociated control stage, andlrneansfor couplingthe outputsof one half of 'each of'said-control-fstages fto the ring stage-preceding andthe outputs of -the otherhalf of Seach @if said'co'ritrol stages to thefring 'stage succeeding the associated rin'gstage.

5. .A ring'circuit of -nfstagesiand means for controlling the order-of progression'thereoi including-means fo'r supplying triggering impulses for changing the conditionz of any ring stage when itsic'ondition is unlike that ftheremaining ring s'tages,f1z,-control stagesfinthenature of double triodes, means for maintaining the plates thereof at like potentials, means for biasing the grids individually, each control stage heing coupled to two ring stages to control the saine and coupled to a third to be controlled thereby, a change .in conductivity of a controlling ring stage normally producing a change in conductivity ci one half of a control stage and tlius in a ring stage controlled thereby.

6. A ring circuit comprising a plurality of ring stages each having a conducting condition and a nonconducting condition, means for supplying triggering impulses to said ring stages sin/lul taneously to alter the condition of any stage the condition of which is unlike that of the other stages, and means for controlling the order of progression of the ring including an electronic switching device, means for supplying to said switching device an impulse from a predetermined ring stage when the condition of such ring stage is altered in predetermined fashion, and means controlled by said switching' device and responsive to the impulse received from said predetermined ring stage for supplying an irnpulse to a selected one of a plurality of ring stages for inducing a change in the condition thereof.

7. An electronic commutator or the like, com prising a series of electronic trigger circuits having one status or an alternative status and switchable in status in response to an applied tripping pulse, coupling means for the trigger circuits including two sets of electronic discharge tubes alternatively effective to provide tripping pulses,

said coupling means interconnecting the trigger circuits to apply a tripping pulse from either of said sets, when effective, to one only of the trigger circuits determined by the status of said trigger circuits to cause successive tripping pulses from one set, when eiective, to switch the trigger cir cuits sequentially in a forward direction through the series and successive tripping pulses from the other set, when effective, to switch the trigger circuits in the reverse direction through the series, and means connected to said sets of tubes for rendering them selectively effective.

LYNN W. MARSH, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the rile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,272,970 Reeves Feb. 3, 1942 2,402,989 Dickinson July 2, 1946 2,403,918 Grosdoff July 16, 1946 2,404,918 Gverbeck July 30, 1946 2,405,664 Murnma Aug. 13, 1946 2,426,454 Johnson Aug. 26, 194'? 2,429,500 Wolfner Oct. 21, 1947 2,442,428 Mumina June 1, 1948 y FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 357,532 Great Britain Sept. 14, 1931 

